Lumber calculator



Dec. 26, 1922. 1,439,938

L A, L. BECK.

LUMBER CALCULATOR. FILED mac 16. 192]. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I 57 3O 62/ a? f O4 L v V} WITNESSES wmvm/e A TTORIVEYS Patented li e s. 2.6, 1922.

VUNIITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW LEE BECK, F ORLANDO, FLORIDA.

LUMBER CALCULATOR.

Application filed December 16, 1921. Serial No. 522,815.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW LEE BECK, a citizen of the United States anda resident of Orlando, in the county of Orange and State of Florida,have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in LumberCalculators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to calculators, and more particularlyto a lumber calculator.

The object of the invention is to pro vide a calculator of thischaracter which enables the user to ascertain the number of board feetcontained in any given number of pieces of lumber of any givendimensions without the necessity of carrying any tedious and diflicultmathematical calculations or processes involving special knowledge andskill. I Another object is to provide a calculator of this characterwhich is of extremely simple and durable construction, which isadaptable to the needs of various persons dealing in lumber, which maybe used with facility and accuracy by a person of ordinary intelligenceand which is easy and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

)ther objects and advantages of the invention reside in'certain novel.features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts whichwill be"hereina'fter more fully described and particularly pointed outin the appended claims."reference being had to the accompanying drawingsformingpart of this specification. and, in which: v

Figure l. is a perspective view of the calculator the details of thetable being omi tted I Figure isan enlarged fragmentary view in planwith some of the numbers applied and illustrating the ('oustrlu-tion ofthe table;

Figure 3 is a similar vieuq illustratiug :1 slightly modifi d form oftable;

Figure 4 is a view in longitiulinal sew tion; and

Figure 5 is a view in transverse section.

Referring to the drawings wherein for the sake of illustration is shownthe preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be seen that theinvention is shown asembodied in a tabular calculator of the sheet typewherein the numeral 10 designates the 55151111116. A table in the formof a rectangular sheet 11 is set in the frame and is covered by a panelof glass 12 which is maintained in position by means of strips 13 andsuitable brads or other fastening means (not shown).

The table comprises a plurality of groups of figuresarranged'in verticalcolumns and designated at 15, as shown in Figure 2. The figures of thegroups correspond to the various lengths in feet in which the lumber ofthe group comes. Adjacent each group a set of figures or a plurality ofsets of figures such as designated at 16 is arranged, and these figuresrepresent in inches the widths and thicknesses in which the lumber ofthe adjacent group comes. As shown in Figure 2 the columns constitutedby the groups 15 and the figures 16 are preferably provided in duplicateon each side of the sheet.

The sheet is provided with a plurality of spaced" parallel verticallines 18 and a nlurality of spaced'horizontal lines 19, the verticallines extending from the top to the bottom of the sheet and thehorizontal lines extending between the columns constituted by the groups15. At-the top of the sheet a series of numbers or figures 20 isarranged in the spaces between the vertical. lines18 and represent thenumber of pieces of lumbcr to be figured.

Below the row 20 a plurality of horizontal rows of computed numbers orfigures, designated at 25 is provided. These rows 25 are arrangedbetween the horizontal .lines 1!) andv there is provided one such rowfor each number of each of the groups 15 and the rows 25 are alined withits num ber of the groups. The numbers of the horizontal rows 25 arealso vertically alined, being arranged in the spaces between the lines18 as well as in the spaces between the lines 1 19 so that these numbersare also arranged in vertical columns, there being one such column foreach number of the horizontal row 20. Each number of the rows 25represents the quantity of lumber in board. feet which is contained inthe number of pieces of lumber indicated by the vertically alinedfigures of the series 20 and of the dimensions corresponding to thenumber of the group 15 with which it is horizontally alined.

A movable indicator, designated generally at 30 is provided andpreferably comprises a bar having enlarged guides 31 at its ends whichslidably fit in undercut .guideways 32 provided in lixcd guide bars Z-ll secured by screws 35 or the like to the ilirame 10. The indicator 30is provided with spaced parallel lines 36 which are coincident withlines 18 oi? the tal'ile, and in the spaces between the lines thenumbers or a row or series 37 are arranged. These numbers progressfrom 1. to 50 and correspond to the numbers of the row 20, the like rowsof numbers representino the number of pieces to be figured.

it for instance .it is desired to ascertain the nun'iber of board. feetcontained in twenty-three pieces 0t one by three lumber, 18 feet long,the indicator 3O isslid up until its edge is a-lined with the.horizontalrow 25 opposite to the number 18 of the one by three group. lViththe indicator in this position the number oi? board feet containedin thirty-nine pi c s can be ascertamedby obsewing the nu iber in therow 25 immedi ately above the number 22; oithe series of numbers 37 ofthe indicator and will'be found to le 115 board teet. This instance hasbeen merely cited for the sake of illustration and all the calculationsare made precisely in the same manner that is by ad justing the movableimlicator until edge is'alined with the horizontal row 25 of the group15 corresponding to the length in feet of lumber and of the groupcorresponding to the desired Width and thickness and then running theeye: along the movable indicator until the figure corresponding to thenumber oi pieces is located and obseiwing the number of the row 25 Whichies immediately above this number of the movable indicator.

The table above described is best suited for use by small lumber dealersbut in order to adapt the invention for use by persons where businessiscarried on on alarger scale it only necessary to provide a form of tableoi the nature shown in Figure 3. The invention is in all other respectsprecisely the same and only the form of the table varies. In this formof table the series of rows of figures which correspond to the number ofpieces of lumber do not increase in incrementsof one as intheioregoingcmbodiment but increase in increments of one from one to 10 andin increments of 10 from 10 to 100 andin increments-of 100- from 100'This series in this ein nulinient adjacent each group. The body of thetable consists of computed figures or numbers arranged in horizontalrows and. in vertical alinement as in the previous embodiment of theinvention but the computed numbers are ofcourse in accordance With thenumbers 40.

Vl hen this form of table is used the sheet 11 is removed and the sheet38 with the table 39 is put in place therect, and theglass panel isreplaced. In order that it may coaet with this modified. form of table,the movable indicator 30 is provided with a second series of spaced.para-llellines and of numbers, ignated at 4:5 and 46 respectively and arranged adjacent or along its lower edge. These numbers to correspond tothe series oi. numbers 110 and increase by the same in crements as thesenumbers, The operation with this term of table is precisely the same asthat previously described, except that the lower edge of the movableindicator is more conveniently utilized.

I claim: I v

A. chart for use as a lumber calculator having a column of numbersarranged in groups along the side thereof representing the variouslengths in which the lumber comes, figures adjacent each group Qindicating the Widths and thicknesses oi. the lumber of the adjacentgroup, a series of numbers at the top of the table indicating the piecesof lumber to be figured, and a plurality of horizontal rows of computednumbers arranged in horizontal alinement with the numbers of the groupsat the side of the. table, the figures of the: horizontal rows beingalso vertically alined "with the numbers of the top series, eachcomputed number of each horizontal. row representing the quantity oflumber in board feet contained in the number of pieces of lumberindicated by the vertically alined figure of the top series and of thedimensions corresponding to the numbers of the group with which it ishorizontally alined.

ANDREW LEE seen

